Is is weird, but you have to use the “store picup” -> “closest stores” radio button to find out if they have it your store. It won’t show with the “in stock” button. Then you will need to go bug someone clueless “Professional Sales Associate” to look under all the cabinets.

I had a day to play with it and get some more info. I have verified it does have AC as well as A. The Broadcom BCM4350 should also support FM radio (no app with it). Besides the screen brightness issue, there is a bad bug with the External SDcard. Only the stock file app and gallery app can read from the external SDcard. I realize that with Kit Kat on up, you had to rooted to write to external cards, however apps with the READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE set in the manifest should be able to read from the external SDcards. Kodi and ES file explorer can’t read from it or a USB flash.

That microSD card issue is Not Good.

And there’s even more Not Good from a review posted at the Best Buy site.

The buyer wrote:

This tablet grossly underperforms when it comes to battery life. I tend to lose about 50% charge overnight while the tablet isn’t being used. I know one shouldn’t expect much from a lower-end tablet, but most devices I’ve gotten my hands on in this price range have at least been able to hold a charge for upwards of a day.

Beyond that, the screen resolution and degree of processing speed were actually pleasant surprises given that the tablet is only $150. This is also the first Best Buy tablet I’ve tried that doesn’t come with such an overwhelming amount of (unremovable) bloatware that half of the storage capacity was already filled right out of the box.

I’d say this tablet would be a decent choice if your aim is to read, browse the web, and maybe do some light gaming. The catch, unfortunately, is that you’ll likely need to charge the device 2-3 times per day.

There are replies to that.

First one:

I had the same problem with my Samsung Tab S. It is an issue with Android that it is always buzzing you with notifications and going through updates while it is in sleep mode. However, Android 5.0 has a feature that can help with this. Go to your Wi-Fi settings and go to advanced. You should be able to click a feature that will turn off Wi-Fi while the tablet is in sleepmode, then it automatically re-connects when you turn the tablet back on. I did this with my Tab S, and now I get 4-5 days of battery life with moderate daily use. Let me know if this helps you.

Second one, which sounds like someone connected to Best Buy or the tablet maker (but remember that Insignia is Best Buy’s house brand):

Dear Matt,
Thank you for being the first to review the new Insignia Flex Elite tablet. In order to achieve the higher than normal brightness for this tablet we sacrificed some battery life. The good news is that if you choose you can reduce the brightness and achieve better battery life. The tablet will achieve the battery life as advertised as configured.

A check of that guy’s profile reveals his answers to reviews are all about Insignia tablets so he’s somehow connected to either Best Buy or the tablet manufacturer.

I added the tablet to my cart at the Best Buy site to investigate nearby store pickup.

All the damn Best Buy stores I’ve been visiting are claimed to have it in stock for pickup today.

Are they lying?

Why isn’t a demo model out on display? What kind of store doesn’t feature their own damned house brand on display?

And then people wonder why I say Best Buy is generally incompetent and they’re dreaming about competing against Amazon and others? This debacle is just further evidence.

It’s clear to see why Samsung is renting space at Best Buy. If they left it up to the store staff, you’d never be able to find any Samsung products!